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All Styles

Name: All Styles
Director: Angela Tucker
Released: 2018
Duration: 87 min

Representation Score

6.6/10

Good

2018

TV-PG

Director

Angela Tucker

Runtime

87 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

All Styles uses dance as a powerful tool to explore identity and cultural expression. The film succeeds by weaving various ethnic identities into a cohesive tapestry of movement, making multiculturalism the primary engine of the plot. While the film avoids radical deconstruction of all social institutions, it effectively challenges monolithic cultural standards. It moves beyond including someone from a minority group without giving them real depth to present diverse traditions as central to the protagonist's journey. However, the film remains somewhat conventional in its treatment of gender and LGBTQ+ themes. It lacks the deep, specific interrogation of queer identities or systemic gender hierarchies found in its racial and cultural storytelling.

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Category Breakdown

Does All Styles have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not include explicit LGBTQ+ narratives. There is no clear depiction of specific non-cisgender identities or queer-coded character arcs.

How does All Styles portray gender?

Good

Female performers, such as the ballerina and ballroom dancer, play significant roles within a male-dominated environment. However, the film upholds traditional interpersonal dynamics without challenging gender hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is All Styles?

Excellent

The film excels by featuring a non-Anglo-Saxon majority cast and celebrating global movement vocabularies. Integrating Bhangra and break-dancing effectively challenges the homogeneity found in Western collegiate narratives.

How does All Styles represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative critiques Western institutional norms by prioritizing the lived experiences of underrepresented groups and diverse cultural practices. It questions traditional standards of excellence.

Does All Styles include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no significant evidence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities being used as central plot drivers or being subjected to stereotypical depictions.

Present on Screen

Features a non-Anglo-Saxon majority cast.
Celebrates global movement vocabularies like Bhangra and break-dancing.
Provides meaningful roles for female performers within the dance landscape.
Critiques Western institutional norms and traditional standards of excellence.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit LGBTQ+ narratives or queer-coded character arcs.
Maintains traditional interpersonal dynamics regarding gender.
Does not provide a systemic deconstruction of gender hierarchies.
Provides no significant representation of characters with disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Struggling In his freshman year of college, Brandon tries to focus intently on his studies but keeps coming to the same conclusion: dance is his passion. His geeky roommate Nate proposes they start a dance crew, but their search for other freestyle dancers proves fruitless. So they expand their search across town, finding a break-dancer, a performance artist, a Bhangra dancer, an animator, a ballerina, and a ballroom dance mom willing to join the new crew. A national dance battle headlined by Brandon's previous crew, Levelz, provides the first opportunity for Brandon to prove to himself and his family that he and his crew have what it takes to make it as dancers.

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